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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · stock · scale · stick · game · lie · march · bowl

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. march — the month
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. game — wild animals
  9. march — music
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. scale — in music
  12. stock — goods
  13. chest — a box
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. march — the month
  17. game — a match
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stock — shares
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bowl — to roll

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