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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ground — the earth
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. ground — crushed
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stock — a soup base

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