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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. present — a gift
  6. lie — to recline
  7. present — the time now
  8. chip — for betting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. capital — money
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fall — the season
  18. present — there
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. object — a thing
  24. capital — a city

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