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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 · lie · ground · kid · foot · current · bound · club

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. foot — a measure
  3. club — a group
  4. kid — child
  5. ground — crushed
  6. club — for golf
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bound — obliged
  10. current — happening now
  11. stock — shares
  12. current — of water
  13. bound — certain
  14. ground — the earth
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. current — electric
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bound — tied together
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. ground — a position

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