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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stock — goods
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. track — a path
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. track — a song
  9. ball — a great time
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stock — shares
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ball — a dance
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. track — to keep track
  23. race — the arms race
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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