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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. drill — the tool
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cap — a lid
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. drill — a practice
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. net — after costs
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. net — for catching
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. net — in sport
  21. cap — a hat
  22. drill — army training
  23. stock — shares
  24. squash — to crush

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