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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 124 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ground — the earth
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stock — goods
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bank — for money
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stock — shares
  14. bank — for money
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bank — of a river
  21. court — of law
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stand — to bear
  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