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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stock — shares
  3. spell — letters
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. spell — magic
  9. present — the time now
  10. pitch — completely
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stock — goods
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spell — a short time

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