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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. drill — army training
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — shares
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hand — in cards
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ground — the earth
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stock — goods
  17. firm — a company
  18. perch — the fish
  19. press — to push
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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