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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ground — a position
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bound — certain
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stock — shares
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. game — a match
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bound — tied together
  15. game — wild animals
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stock — goods

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