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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. season — in sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. current — happening now
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bat — the animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. season — of the year
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fall — to drop
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fall — the season
  23. stock — shares
  24. lie — to recline

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