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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stock — goods
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. net — after costs
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. net — in sport
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — a match
  16. stock — shares
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. perch — the fish
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. game — wild animals
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. net — for catching
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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