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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. capital — a city
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. firm — a company
  10. bank — for money
  11. stock — goods
  12. firm — steady
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bank — of a river
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. capital — money
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bank — for money
  22. stock — shares
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. capital — a big letter

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