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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 124 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stock — goods
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. pit — in a race
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. firm — a company
  21. pitch — completely
  22. march — music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. march — the month

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