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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. hand — in cards
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pop — music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pop — to visit
  9. board — to get on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stock — shares
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pop — soda
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stock — goods
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. board — a committee
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. board — a flat piece

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