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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mark — a trace
  4. file — a line of people
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bass — low music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. file — a tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. present — a gift
  12. stock — shares
  13. file — a document
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. present — there
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bass — the fish
  22. game — a match
  23. stock — goods
  24. lie — to recline

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