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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. court — of a king
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. track — a path
  7. perch — the fish
  8. court — for sport
  9. stock — goods
  10. court — of law
  11. track — to keep track
  12. suit — to fit
  13. band — a ring
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. land — ground
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. land — to come down
  21. track — a song
  22. stock — shares
  23. land — a country
  24. lie — to recline

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