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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. object — to protest
  3. shower — to wash
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ground — a position
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. shower — rain
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. object — an aim
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stock — shares
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stock — goods
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. object — a thing
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mouse — for a computer

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