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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. object — to protest
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. band — a music group
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stock — shares
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. object — an aim
  17. band — a ring
  18. object — a thing

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