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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. game — wild animals
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. toast — bread
  15. stock — shares
  16. game — a match
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lie — to recline
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. tube — a container
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stock — goods
  24. cabinet — ministers

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