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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mug — a face
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stock — shares
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — goods
  19. board — to get on
  20. mug — to rob
  21. board — a committee
  22. mug — a cup
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. date — on the calendar

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