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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. file — a line of people
  4. capital — money
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. lie — to recline
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lean — thin
  12. stock — goods
  13. file — a document
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lean — to bend
  19. file — a tool
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. capital — a city

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