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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. present — there
  3. hand — help
  4. cap — a hat
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mark — a grade
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. track — a song
  10. hand — in cards
  11. present — the time now
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stock — shares
  16. track — a path
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. present — a gift
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mark — a trace

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