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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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stock — goods
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stock — shares
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lie — to recline
  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