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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. date — the fruit
  4. track — a song
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stock — goods
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cap — of ice
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ground — a position
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stock — shares
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. track — a path
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mouse — the animal

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