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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. root — the cause
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stock — goods
  8. cue — a signal
  9. degree — from a university
  10. court — of a king
  11. root — of a word
  12. court — of law
  13. mug — to rob
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mug — a cup
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. court — for sport
  21. cue — a hint
  22. degree — temperature
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mug — a face

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