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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stock — goods
  6. current — happening now
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. current — of water
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stock — shares
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. degree — an amount
  18. current — electric
  19. date — the fruit
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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