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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. pop — to visit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pop — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stock — shares
  7. land — a country
  8. bass — the fish
  9. present — a gift
  10. sharp — clever
  11. land — ground
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — there
  15. stock — goods
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. land — to come down
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. present — the time now
  23. bass — low music
  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