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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stock — shares
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. file — a document
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rock — music
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. file — a tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. court — of a king
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. file — a line of people
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. foot — a measure

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