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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. present — a gift
  3. charge — a price
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — shares
  7. charge — electricity
  8. present — the time now
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. charge — in control
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stock — goods
  22. bass — low music
  23. present — there
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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