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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. net — for catching
  3. ball — a dance
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. can — a tin
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. net — in sport
  11. lie — to recline
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — shares
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. net — after costs
  19. can — a tin
  20. ball — a great time
  21. land — ground
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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