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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bank — for money
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stock — shares
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bank — for money
  11. roll — a list
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lie — to recline
  14. roll — a cake
  15. mark — a trace
  16. spell — letters
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stock — goods
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spell — magic

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