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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. game — a match
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stock — shares
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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