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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: bowl · dip · lie · stock · charge · patient · sharp · pitcher

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. charge — electricity
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. charge — in control
  11. stock — goods
  12. sharp — clever
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — a price
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stock — shares
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. dip — to sink
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lie — to recline

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