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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. board — to get on
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. stock — shares
  18. hand — help
  19. bear — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. hand — in cards
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. racket — for tennis

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