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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. firm — steady
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rash — a series
  8. capital — a city
  9. rash — hasty
  10. capital — money
  11. content — the amount
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. firm — decided
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stock — shares
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. firm — a company
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. content — happy
  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