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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. band — a ring
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stock — goods
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bat — the animal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stock — shares
  15. band — a music group
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rock — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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