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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. march — music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stock — goods
  6. march — the month
  7. kid — child
  8. tube — the underground
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ball — a great time
  11. kid — to tease
  12. ball — a dance
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. march — the month
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stock — shares
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. tube — a container

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