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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stock — goods
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. degree — temperature
  15. ground — a position
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pop — music
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stand — on your feet

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