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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. spell — magic
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stock — shares
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. spell — letters
  16. track — a song
  17. stock — goods
  18. staff — employees
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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