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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stock — goods
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ground — a position
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. rest — what's left
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stock — shares
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rest — a break
  16. row — a line
  17. rash — hasty
  18. capital — a city
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rest — what's left
  21. capital — money
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stock — a soup base

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