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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. stock — goods
  4. mine — for digging
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. court — of a king
  9. stock — shares
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. court — of law
  14. prune — to trim
  15. court — for sport
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rule — a law
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rule — government
  24. prune — to trim

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