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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. present — the time now
  4. pitch — completely
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. land — ground
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. land — to come down
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. drill — army training
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — a gift
  17. drill — a practice
  18. saw — the tool
  19. present — there
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. stock — goods
  24. drill — the tool

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