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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · chip · stock · bat · row · ground · lean · drill

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. chip — for betting
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lean — thin
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stock — goods
  16. ground — a position
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. drill — the tool
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. drill — army training
  22. ground — crushed
  23. stock — shares
  24. drill — a practice

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