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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. face — part of the head
  5. net — for catching
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. ground — the earth
  11. net — after costs
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ground — a position
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. net — in sport
  17. stock — shares
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. face — to confront
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bowl — a football final

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