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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. chest — a box
  4. object — a thing
  5. court — for sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — of a king
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chest — of your body
  10. object — to protest
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. squash — to crush
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. stock — goods
  18. object — an aim
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. court — of law
  21. ground — a position
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stock — shares
  24. squash — the sport

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