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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pop — soda
  6. stock — goods
  7. band — a music group
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. pop — music
  11. scale — in music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. band — a ring
  15. stock — shares
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. firm — a company
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. firm — steady
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mine — for digging
  24. firm — decided

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