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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stock — shares
  5. kick — in football
  6. stock — goods
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. ground — a position
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cell — a phone
  13. club — for dancing
  14. last — finally
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stand — to bear
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. club — for golf
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. club — a group
  24. ground — crushed

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