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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. net — for catching
  3. firm — a company
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — in sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stock — shares
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cue — a hint
  13. scale — in music
  14. firm — decided
  15. cue — for pool
  16. scale — size or range
  17. firm — steady
  18. squash — the sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. net — in sport
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. net — after costs
  23. stock — goods
  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