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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mug — to rob
  3. ground — crushed
  4. kick — in football
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. ground — the earth
  10. court — for sport
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rock — a stone
  14. branch — a division
  15. court — of a king
  16. stock — goods
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. court — of law
  21. rock — music
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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