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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stock — goods
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fine — all right
  7. season — of the year
  8. spell — magic
  9. root — of a plant
  10. ground — the earth
  11. season — in sport
  12. spell — letters
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — high quality
  16. stock — shares
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ground — a position

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