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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pitch — completely
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. suit — in cards
  8. staff — employees
  9. stock — goods
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. stock — shares
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. scale — in music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. staff — employees
  19. cold — an illness
  20. suit — to fit
  21. scale — size or range
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cold — not warm

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