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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ground — a position
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. suit — clothes
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. board — a committee
  9. suit — to fit
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. ball — a dance
  13. shower — to wash
  14. ball — a great time
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. ground — the earth
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rock — music
  20. stock — shares
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. shower — rain
  23. rock — a stone
  24. ground — crushed

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