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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. net — for catching
  3. chest — a box
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chest — of your body
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. net — in sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — all right
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitch — completely
  15. key — in music
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stock — shares
  18. chest — of your body
  19. net — after costs
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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