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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ground — a position
  4. roll — a list
  5. fine — all right
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. file — a tool
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rock — music
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bear — the animal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. ground — the earth
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stock — goods

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