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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rash — a series
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — clever
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. fine — all right
  9. content — the amount
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. content — happy
  14. stock — shares
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. shower — rain
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — hasty
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. shower — to wash

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