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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.

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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: swing · game · stock · land · suit · rest · ball · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rest — what's left
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. ball — a great time
  6. swing — music
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rest — a break
  11. swing — in golf
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ball — a dance
  14. swing — to play on
  15. game — wild animals
  16. land — a country
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stock — shares
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. suit — in cards

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