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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. shower — to wash
  3. band — a music group
  4. ground — a position
  5. wound — an injury
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. current — happening now
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. club — for golf
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. current — electric
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. club — a group
  19. current — of water
  20. band — a ring
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. club — for dancing
  23. plane — a tool
  24. ground — crushed

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