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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lean — thin
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. spell — magic
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ground — a position
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ground — crushed
  14. season — in sport
  15. stock — shares
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spell — letters
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. ground — the earth
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. spell — a short time
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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