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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stock — goods
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mate — a friend
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. dip — to sink
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mate — to breed
  13. snap — to click
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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