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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. stand — to bear
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stock — shares
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. capital — a city
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stock — goods
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. capital — money
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — in sport
  24. wake — before a funeral

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