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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ground — a position
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bat — the animal
  9. ground — crushed
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stock — shares
  12. staff — employees
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. scale — in music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. staff — a stick
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — to handle
  20. staff — employees
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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