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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pop — to visit
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pop — music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. staff — a stick
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. face — to point toward
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. face — to confront
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pop — soda
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. racket — for tennis

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