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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stock — shares
  4. fall — to drop
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — goods
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitch — completely
  14. can — a tin
  15. key — for a lock
  16. fall — the season
  17. date — the fruit
  18. game — a match
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fall — to drop
  23. key — in music
  24. key — the most important part

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