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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. net — in sport
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rock — music
  6. net — after costs
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stock — goods
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stock — shares
  18. fall — the season
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chip — to eat
  23. net — for catching
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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