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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. present — a gift
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stock — goods
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ground — a position
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pass — a permit
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fork — in a road
  18. present — the time now
  19. ball — a great time
  20. present — there
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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