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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ground — a position
  12. court — of law
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stock — shares
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. court — for sport
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stock — goods
  23. court — of a king
  24. ground — crushed

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