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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. land — ground
  3. bank — of a river
  4. charge — in control
  5. present — there
  6. land — a country
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stock — shares
  9. ground — the earth
  10. charge — electricity
  11. game — wild animals
  12. charge — a price
  13. game — a match
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — a position
  17. land — to come down
  18. stock — goods
  19. present — the time now
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bank — for money
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. present — a gift

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