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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stock — goods
  7. can — a tin
  8. net — for catching
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. can — a tin
  11. scale — in music
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. net — in sport
  14. stock — shares
  15. lie — to recline
  16. scale — size or range
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. net — after costs
  23. toast — bread
  24. scale — for weighing

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