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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. drill — a practice
  3. stock — goods
  4. hand — help
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. net — in sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. drill — the tool
  9. net — for catching
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stock — shares
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. hand — in cards
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. net — after costs
  19. drill — army training
  20. pass — a permit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rest — a break
  24. ground — a position

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