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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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. net — after costs
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stock — goods
  5. ball — a dance
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lean — to bend
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ground — a position
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. game — a match
  16. ground — crushed
  17. net — in sport
  18. lean — thin
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stock — shares
  22. net — for catching
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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