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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stock — goods
  3. ground — a position
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. present — a gift
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rash — a series
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stock — shares
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. present — the time now
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mark — a trace
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ground — crushed
  24. present — there

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