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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. board — a committee
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stock — goods
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. drill — the tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stock — shares
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. drill — a practice
  16. charge — in control
  17. drill — army training
  18. charge — electricity
  19. kid — to tease
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ground — crushed
  22. kid — child
  23. board — to get on
  24. charge — a price

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