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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. charge — in control
  17. bound — certain
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cap — a lid
  22. charge — a price
  23. stock — shares
  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