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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. firm — steady
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stock — goods
  15. hand — help
  16. firm — a company
  17. net — in sport
  18. stock — shares
  19. ground — a position
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. firm — decided
  23. row — a line
  24. jam — in traffic

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