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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — after costs
  6. season — of the year
  7. stock — shares
  8. can — a tin
  9. season — in sport
  10. capital — a city
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. net — in sport
  15. key — the most important part
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. key — for a lock
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. key — in music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. capital — money
  24. net — for catching

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