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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. rash — a series
  3. stock — goods
  4. court — of law
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. court — for sport
  8. land — ground
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wax — to grow
  14. stock — shares
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. court — of a king
  18. land — a country
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. land — to come down
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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