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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. firm — steady
  4. pass — a permit
  5. board — to get on
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. board — a committee
  8. scale — in music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. land — to come down
  11. stock — goods
  12. firm — a company
  13. land — ground
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stock — shares
  20. ground — the earth
  21. firm — decided
  22. scale — size or range
  23. land — a country
  24. pitcher — a jug

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