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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stock — shares
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ground — a position
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stock — goods
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bulb — for light
  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