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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. object — an aim
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ground — a position
  15. track — a path
  16. object — to protest
  17. squash — to crush
  18. object — a thing
  19. wound — an injury
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stock — goods
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stock — shares
  24. mouse — the animal

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