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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. stock — goods
  2. object — a thing
  3. degree — temperature
  4. ground — a position
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. ground — crushed
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pitch — completely
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chair — a leader
  11. object — an aim
  12. charge — in control
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. object — to protest
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stock — shares
  17. charge — electricity
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. charge — a price
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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