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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. stock — goods
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stock — shares
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rest — a break
  12. can — a tin
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. can — a tin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. can — to be able to
  20. swing — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stand — on your feet
  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