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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. swing — music
  3. stock — shares
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stock — goods
  6. cold — an illness
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. staff — employees
  9. court — for sport
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wake — a trail
  12. court — of a king
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. staff — employees
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. court — of law
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cold — not warm
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. swing — to play on

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