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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fall — the season
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. court — for sport
  5. ground — a position
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. ground — the earth
  9. court — of a king
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pound — a weight
  16. court — of law
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stock — goods
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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