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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 120 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. row — a line
  4. kick — in football
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stock — goods
  15. rock — music
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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