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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. land — ground
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stock — shares
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mate — a partner
  10. plane — a tool
  11. land — to come down
  12. cue — for pool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mate — a friend
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — a hint
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. land — a country
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stock — goods

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