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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rash — a series
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stock — goods
  11. fine — all right
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. land — to come down
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stock — shares
  19. pitch — completely
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pass — a permit
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. land — a country
  24. rash — hasty

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