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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. swing — music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. swing — in golf
  11. lie — to recline
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stock — shares
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. swing — to play on

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