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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. firm — steady
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. firm — decided
  7. land — to come down
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. ground — crushed
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. tube — a container
  14. firm — a company
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tube — the underground
  20. land — ground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stock — goods
  23. land — a country
  24. stock — shares

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