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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fall — the season
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pop — soda
  10. roll — a list
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pop — music
  13. roll — a cake
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. staff — employees
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. staff — employees
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pitch — completely

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