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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ground — a position
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stock — shares
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ball — a great time
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stock — goods
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ground — the earth
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ball — a dance

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