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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. stock — goods
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stock — shares
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rash — a series
  7. lean — thin
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lie — to recline
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lean — to bend
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. perch — the fish
  23. safe — out of danger
  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