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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 116 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stock — shares
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. capital — money
  6. kick — in football
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — of water
  10. stock — goods
  11. capital — a city
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. current — happening now
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. current — electric
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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