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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bound — tied together
  4. track — a song
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. shower — rain
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bound — certain
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bound — obliged
  16. track — a path
  17. stock — shares
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stock — goods
  20. ground — crushed
  21. track — to keep track
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. fork — in a road

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