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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stock — shares
  4. rock — music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stock — goods
  17. rock — a stone
  18. board — to get on
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. board — a committee
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. toast — bread

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