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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. chip — for betting
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stock — shares
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. ground — the earth
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rock — music
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stock — goods
  19. ground — a position
  20. degree — an amount
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rock — to move gently

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