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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lean — thin
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stock — goods
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lean — to bend
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ground — a position
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rock — music
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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