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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. firm — steady
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. firm — a company
  13. stock — goods
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. season — of the year
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. bear — to put up with

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