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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bank — for money
  4. kid — child
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stock — goods
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. saw — the tool
  10. game — a match
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. kid — to tease
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bank — of a river
  15. present — there
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. present — a gift
  18. scale — in music
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — shares
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. saw — the tool

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