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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pitch — completely
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. land — a country
  8. game — a match
  9. land — ground
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ground — a position

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