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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bore — to tire
  3. march — music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. ball — a great time
  10. charge — a price
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. charge — in control
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bore — to drill
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. charge — electricity

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