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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. object — to protest
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. object — a thing
  7. can — a tin
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. can — a tin
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stock — shares
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stock — goods
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rock — music
  19. ground — crushed
  20. spell — magic
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. object — an aim
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. spell — letters

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