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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — goods
  4. content — the amount
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pop — to visit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. content — happy
  9. game — a match
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pop — music
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — shares
  16. ground — crushed
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pop — soda
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. ground — the earth

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