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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stock — goods
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bass — low music
  12. stock — shares
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. dip — to sink
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chip — to eat
  23. face — part of the head
  24. coach — a trainer

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