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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stock — goods
  5. branch — a division
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. suit — clothes
  8. stock — shares
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. wound — an injury
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. suit — in cards
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wound — an injury
  21. suit — to fit
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ground — crushed
  24. branch — of a tree

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