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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. stock — shares
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. land — to come down
  11. stock — goods
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. land — ground
  22. pass — a permit
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. lie — an untruth

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