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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. swing — music
  3. ground — a position
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lean — thin
  6. stock — shares
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rule — government
  11. ground — the earth
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rule — a law
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bat — the animal
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stock — goods
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lean — to bend

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