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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stock — shares
  6. ground — crushed
  7. vault — a safe
  8. face — to confront
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rest — a break
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bear — the animal
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stock — goods
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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