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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stock — shares
  3. content — the amount
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. court — of a king
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. content — happy
  11. stock — goods
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pound — a weight
  19. court — of law
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. court — for sport

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