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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. tear — to rip
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. tear — from crying
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — goods
  10. track — a song
  11. key — in music
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ground — crushed
  14. board — to get on
  15. ground — the earth
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. track — to keep track
  18. key — for a lock
  19. saw — the tool
  20. dip — to sink
  21. key — the most important part
  22. track — a path
  23. board — a committee
  24. stock — shares

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