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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 116 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. face — to confront
  4. ground — a position
  5. charge — a price
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stock — shares
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. bass — low music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ground — crushed
  16. charge — in control
  17. ground — the earth
  18. charge — electricity
  19. face — to point toward
  20. present — there
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bass — the fish
  24. capital — a city

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