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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stock — goods
  3. drill — army training
  4. ground — crushed
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ground — a position
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lie — to recline
  18. drill — a practice
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stock — shares
  21. branch — a division
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stock — a soup base

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