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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. stock — shares
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bat — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bound — tied together

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