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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. ground — a position
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stock — goods
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stock — shares
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. capital — money
  22. chip — for betting
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. capital — a city

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