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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. suit — in cards
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. net — for catching
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. club — a group
  11. hand — in cards
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lie — to recline
  14. suit — clothes
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stock — goods
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. hand — help
  20. club — for golf
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. suit — to fit

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