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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. spell — letters
  3. land — to come down
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stock — shares
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. spell — magic
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ball — a dance
  15. spell — a short time
  16. land — a country
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. vault — a safe
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stock — goods
  23. land — ground
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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