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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. land — a country
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fine — high quality
  8. land — to come down
  9. cold — not warm
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stock — goods
  15. land — ground
  16. fine — all right
  17. cold — an illness
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cue — a hint
  23. lie — to recline
  24. perch — for a bird

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