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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stock — shares
  3. deal — to handle
  4. game — a match
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stem — to come from
  8. suit — to fit
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. game — wild animals
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stock — goods
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pitch — completely

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