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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mug — a face
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. ground — crushed
  10. fine — all right
  11. ground — a position
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spring — of water
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stock — goods
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mug — a cup

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