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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cue — for pool
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stock — shares
  9. ground — a position
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ground — crushed
  13. spell — letters
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cue — a signal
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cue — a hint

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