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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stand — to bear
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stock — shares
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. vault — a safe
  12. ball — a dance
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. suit — clothes
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ground — a position
  18. pass — a permit
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stock — goods

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