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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. firm — steady
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. present — the time now
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lie — to recline
  9. charge — electricity
  10. scale — in music
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. present — there
  14. cue — for pool
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. stock — goods
  18. firm — decided
  19. scale — size or range
  20. cue — a hint
  21. march — the month
  22. stock — shares
  23. present — a gift
  24. lie — an untruth

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