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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 124 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. present — the time now
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. present — a gift
  5. pitch — completely
  6. club — for golf
  7. present — there
  8. fine — high quality
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stock — goods
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fine — all right
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — for dancing
  21. swing — to play on
  22. club — a group
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. swing — music

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