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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. face — part of the head
  10. current — happening now
  11. pound — a weight
  12. current — electric
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stock — goods
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. current — of water
  19. face — to confront
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pitch — completely
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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