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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lie — to recline
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. board — a committee
  10. lean — thin
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. can — a tin
  14. date — the fruit
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. can — a tin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stock — goods

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