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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ground — the earth
  5. staff — employees
  6. bank — for money
  7. rock — music
  8. stock — goods
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. staff — employees
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bank — for money
  13. drill — the tool
  14. chair — a leader
  15. staff — a stick
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bank — of a river
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. ground — a position

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