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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 120 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. firm — a company
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. firm — decided
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fall — the season
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. firm — steady
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. chest — a box
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — to drop
  18. 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