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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ground — crushed
  3. land — to come down
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chair — a leader
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. land — ground
  13. ground — a position
  14. stock — shares
  15. rest — a break
  16. object — to protest
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stock — goods
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. land — a country

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