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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ball — a dance
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stock — shares
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stock — goods
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pound — a weight
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. plane — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. date — the fruit

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