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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stock — goods
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. game — a match
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ground — a position
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. leaves — lets stay

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