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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ground — the earth
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. ground — crushed
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stock — shares
  10. ground — a position
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. deal — to handle
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. bore — to drill
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. net — after costs

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