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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stock — goods
  6. march — the month
  7. fork — in a road
  8. stock — shares
  9. march — the month
  10. current — electric
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cue — for pool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. march — music
  19. current — of water
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. current — happening now
  23. cue — a signal
  24. swing — music

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