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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. land — to come down
  7. ground — a position
  8. land — a country
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. firm — decided
  14. chip — for betting
  15. firm — a company
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cue — a signal
  18. kick — in football
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stock — goods
  23. ground — the earth
  24. firm — steady

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