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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. track — a path
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. shower — rain
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stem — to come from
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. track — a song
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rock — music
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pitch — completely
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lie — to recline

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