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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. ground — a position
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mate — a friend
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stock — shares
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mate — a partner
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. land — to come down
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stock — goods
  20. mate — to breed
  21. land — ground
  22. wake — a trail
  23. suit — in cards
  24. land — a country

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