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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. spell — magic
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stock — goods
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spell — letters
  11. key — in music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. row — to paddle
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lie — to recline
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fan — to cool the air

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