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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · bat · lie · last · stock · pitcher · ground · charge

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. lie — to recline
  8. charge — a price
  9. bat — the animal
  10. last — to go on
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stock — goods
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. last — final
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stock — shares
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. last — finally
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. charge — in control

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