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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stock — goods
  3. net — for catching
  4. chip — to eat
  5. net — in sport
  6. season — in sport
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. net — after costs
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stock — shares
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mug — a face
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mug — a cup
  24. chip — in a computer

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