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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 112 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. pound — a weight
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. stock — shares
  6. season — in sport
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. branch — a division
  9. bat — the animal
  10. season — of the year
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fine — all right
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stock — a soup base
  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