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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stock — shares
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. board — to get on
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. game — wild animals
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stock — goods
  21. snap — to click
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. game — a match
  24. board — a committee

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