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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. track — a song
  3. net — in sport
  4. race — a contest
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — completely
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stock — goods
  9. track — a path
  10. race — humankind
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chip — for betting
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. net — for catching
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. race — the arms race
  19. net — after costs
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stock — shares
  22. chip — to eat
  23. track — to keep track
  24. deal — a big deal

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