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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bear — the animal
  4. file — a line of people
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. ground — crushed
  7. file — a document
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stock — goods
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bulb — for light
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bear — the animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. file — a tool
  24. stock — shares

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