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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. stock — goods
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. roll — a list
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. squash — the sport
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stock — shares
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. squash — the vegetable

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