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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — shares
  5. ground — a position
  6. sharp — clever
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mate — to breed
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mate — a friend
  11. dip — to sink
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. suit — to fit
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ground — the earth
  21. suit — clothes
  22. stock — goods
  23. perch — the fish
  24. suit — in cards

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