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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stock — shares
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fine — all right
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stock — goods
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ball — a dance

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