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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. scale — in music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lie — to recline
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. scale — size or range
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stock — goods
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stock — shares
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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