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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 116 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — not warm
  5. mug — a face
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cold — an illness
  13. current — happening now
  14. face — to confront
  15. current — electric
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bank — for money
  18. stock — shares
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. current — of water
  23. stock — goods
  24. mug — a cup

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