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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stock — goods
  5. ground — a position
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stock — shares
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rule — a law
  24. bowl — a dish

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