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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cap — a lid
  6. row — to paddle
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. row — a line
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stock — goods
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. game — a match
  20. stock — shares
  21. bass — low music
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cue — a hint

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