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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. tear — to rip
  7. lie — to recline
  8. suit — to fit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stock — shares
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. tear — from crying
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stock — goods
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. leaves — of a tree

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