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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 120 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pound — a weight
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stock — shares
  5. last — final
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. object — to protest
  8. fine — all right
  9. game — a match
  10. fine — high quality
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. object — an aim
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. last — to go on
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. foot — a measure
  17. last — finally
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. object — a thing
  20. game — wild animals
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. game — a kind of play

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