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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. row — a line
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stock — shares
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stock — goods
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. object — to protest
  12. net — after costs
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. object — a thing
  16. stand — to bear
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. object — an aim
  21. net — in sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. net — for catching
  24. stand — for spectators

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