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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. can — a tin
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pitch — completely
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. race — humankind
  13. charge — electricity
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stock — goods
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stock — shares
  18. lean — thin
  19. charge — in control
  20. race — a contest
  21. lean — to bend
  22. can — to be able to
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. can — a tin

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