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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pitch — completely
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stock — shares
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. row — a line
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. charge — a price
  15. tube — a container
  16. band — a music group
  17. tube — the underground
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stock — goods
  22. game — a match
  23. charge — in control
  24. band — a ring

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