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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fine — all right
  5. object — an aim
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. ground — a position
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stock — shares
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. object — a thing
  22. stock — goods
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ground — the earth

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