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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ground — crushed
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pop — music
  5. drill — army training
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stock — shares
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stock — goods
  11. rest — a break
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. chair — a leader
  15. branch — a division
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pop — soda
  24. bulb — of a plant

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