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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ground — a position
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. club — a group
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. ground — crushed
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. club — for golf
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. perch — the fish
  15. hand — in cards
  16. ground — the earth
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. club — for dancing
  20. land — a country
  21. hand — help
  22. snap — to click
  23. stock — shares
  24. perch — for a bird

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