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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ground — crushed
  3. date — the fruit
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. clip — for paper
  6. firm — decided
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. spell — magic
  9. clip — a video
  10. firm — steady
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. firm — a company
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. ground — the earth
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. clip — to cut
  21. ground — a position
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. bowl — a dish

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