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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. land — to come down
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. charge — a price
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — in control
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. track — a song
  10. mark — a trace
  11. charge — electricity
  12. squash — to crush
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — goods
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lie — an untruth

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