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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ground — the earth
  9. object — to protest
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. object — an aim
  15. mug — a face
  16. drill — the tool
  17. ground — a position
  18. drill — army training
  19. mug — to rob
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ground — crushed
  22. present — the time now
  23. object — a thing
  24. present — a gift

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