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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stock — shares
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. last — finally
  7. mine — for digging
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. last — final
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fine — all right
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. last — to go on
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stock — goods
  21. rock — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pop — music
  24. mine — an explosive

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