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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stock — shares
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. court — of law
  8. can — a tin
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. court — of a king
  11. key — in music
  12. stock — goods
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. field — for sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. field — a subject
  18. can — to be able to
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. court — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. pound — a weight

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