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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: stock · swing · game · last · root · mug · scale · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. last — final
  3. scale — in music
  4. last — to go on
  5. root — of a word
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. mug — a cup
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mug — a face
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. last — finally
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mug — to rob
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. root — the cause
  23. swing — to play on
  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