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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stock — shares
  3. cue — for pool
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fall — the season
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. content — the amount
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. stock — goods
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. file — a document
  19. content — happy
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. key — the most important part

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