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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. stock — shares
  5. rest — a break
  6. drill — the tool
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wake — a trail
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. drill — army training
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rest — what's left
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. net — for catching
  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