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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. content — the amount
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stock — shares
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bank — for money
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. stock — goods
  15. game — a match
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. deal — an agreement

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