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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. staff — employees
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. staff — a stick
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pound — a weight
  9. season — of the year
  10. staff — employees
  11. bass — low music
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stock — shares
  16. season — in sport
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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