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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 124 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stock — goods
  4. squash — to crush
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — a face
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mug — to rob
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stock — shares
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lie — to recline
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — a match
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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