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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. land — a country
  5. stock — shares
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. saw — the tool
  13. land — ground
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — crushed
  17. vault — a safe
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ground — a position
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stock — goods
  24. land — to come down

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