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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lean — thin
  3. ground — a position
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. can — to be able to
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. can — a tin
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. lean — to bend
  21. can — a tin
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pound — a weight
  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