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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rest — a break
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lie — to recline
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rest — what's left
  7. suit — in cards
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bass — low music
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fine — all right
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stock — shares
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stock — goods
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cap — a hat

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