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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stock — shares
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rest — a break
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mine — for digging
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spell — letters
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chest — a box
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. spell — magic
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rest — what's left

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