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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mate — a partner
  5. key — for a lock
  6. tube — a container
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stock — shares
  10. face — part of the head
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stock — goods
  14. mate — to breed
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. face — to point toward
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. key — in music
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. lie — to recline
  23. face — to confront
  24. pitcher — a jug

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