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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. firm — a company
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stock — goods
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. staff — employees
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. branch — a division
  12. staff — employees
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. face — to confront
  15. firm — steady
  16. ground — a position
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stock — shares
  19. firm — decided
  20. staff — a stick
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bat — for baseball

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