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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bank — for money
  3. stock — goods
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stock — shares
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — thin
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. hand — in cards
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. hand — help

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