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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. firm — a company
  6. lie — to recline
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stock — goods
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. net — after costs
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. net — for catching
  18. firm — steady
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. scale — in music
  21. rash — a series
  22. foot — a measure
  23. net — in sport
  24. stock — shares

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