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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. land — ground
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. object — an aim
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. land — to come down
  10. cap — a lid
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — in sport
  17. stock — goods
  18. land — a country
  19. object — a thing
  20. season — of the year
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cap — of ice
  23. object — to protest
  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