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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bank — for money
  6. stock — goods
  7. toast — bread
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rest — a break
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stock — shares
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fall — the season
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bank — for money
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. fall — to drop

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