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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. clip — to cut
  7. content — the amount
  8. stock — shares
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. board — to get on
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. content — happy
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. board — a committee
  23. stock — goods
  24. mouse — for a computer

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