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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ground — a position
  4. fine — all right
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stock — goods
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bulb — for light
  15. land — a country
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fine — high quality
  18. land — ground
  19. fall — the season
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bulb — for light
  23. land — to come down
  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