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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. scale — size or range
  3. land — to come down
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. ground — the earth
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. land — ground
  11. plane — a tool
  12. land — a country
  13. scale — in music
  14. stock — shares
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. ground — crushed
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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