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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. fine — all right
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stock — shares
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. safe — a strongbox

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