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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lie — to recline
  3. chest — of your body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. season — of the year
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. net — in sport
  11. chest — a box
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. net — for catching
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. club — a group
  17. stock — goods
  18. season — in sport
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. club — for golf
  23. chest — of your body
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com