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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stock — goods
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. net — after costs
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stock — shares
  19. net — for catching
  20. drill — army training
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. squash — the sport

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