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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ground — the earth
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stock — shares
  6. bear — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rash — hasty
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rash — a series
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ground — a position
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stock — goods
  24. ground — crushed

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