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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. drill — army training
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. press — newspapers
  14. scale — size or range
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stock — goods
  21. press — to push
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stock — shares
  24. pitch — a sports field

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