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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. field — farmland
  8. content — the amount
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. content — happy
  11. snap — to click
  12. field — for sport
  13. scale — in music
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lie — to recline
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pound — a weight
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. field — a subject
  24. stock — a soup base

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