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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stock — goods
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ground — a position
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. charge — electricity
  18. ball — a dance
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. charge — a price

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