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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. swing — music
  3. stock — shares
  4. track — a path
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. kick — in football
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. swing — to play on
  17. cell — a phone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cell — in biology
  24. swing — in golf

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