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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — shares
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. track — a song
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stock — goods
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. ground — a position
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. track — a path
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mouse — for a computer

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