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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 124 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. ground — the earth
  3. shower — rain
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stock — shares
  6. march — music
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ground — crushed
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. march — the month
  14. suit — clothes
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. content — the amount
  17. ground — a position
  18. saw — the tool
  19. suit — to fit
  20. content — happy
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. march — the month
  23. shower — to wash
  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