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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. key — the most important part
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. stock — shares
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pitch — completely
  12. firm — decided
  13. key — in music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. band — a music group
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. net — after costs
  18. key — for a lock
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — in sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. net — for catching

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