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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ground — a position
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bat — the animal
  16. stock — shares
  17. pop — music
  18. tube — a container
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stock — goods
  22. pop — soda
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. ground — crushed

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