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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pitch — completely
  7. row — a line
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fall — to drop
  10. craft — boats
  11. fall — the season
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rock — a stone
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stock — goods
  17. fine — all right
  18. rock — music
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fine — high quality
  23. swing — music
  24. fine — a penalty

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