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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. face — to confront
  4. firm — decided
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ground — the earth
  9. board — to get on
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. firm — steady
  14. stock — shares
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pitch — completely
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. firm — a company
  20. board — a committee
  21. ground — a position
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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