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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. club — a group
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hand — help
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. net — after costs
  7. lie — to recline
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. club — for golf
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. net — for catching
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. net — in sport
  19. stock — goods
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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