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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stock — goods
  6. ground — the earth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. key — in music
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wound — an injury
  14. suit — clothes
  15. ground — crushed
  16. key — for a lock
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ball — a dance
  19. suit — in cards
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wound — an injury
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stock — shares

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