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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. face — to point toward
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stock — shares
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. content — happy
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. face — part of the head
  18. toast — bread
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. content — the amount
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stock — goods
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. face — to confront

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