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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stock — goods
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. face — to confront
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bound — certain
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bound — tied together
  17. craft — a skill
  18. face — to point toward
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stock — shares
  23. craft — boats
  24. bound — obliged

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