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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. dip — to sink
  7. court — for sport
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fine — all right
  15. court — of a king
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — of law
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bound — obliged

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