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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. scale — size or range
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. toast — bread
  9. cell — in biology
  10. lie — to recline
  11. board — a committee
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. can — a tin
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. scale — in music
  23. board — to get on
  24. cell — a phone

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