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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
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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: firm · deal · land · lie · band · bowl · row · stock

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. land — ground
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. firm — a company
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. firm — steady
  11. row — a line
  12. land — to come down
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lie — to recline
  17. row — to paddle
  18. firm — decided
  19. stock — goods
  20. land — a country
  21. band — a ring
  22. stock — shares
  23. deal — to handle
  24. band — a music group

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