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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. can — a tin
  5. track — a path
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. track — a song
  11. board — to get on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. board — a committee
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stock — shares
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stock — goods
  24. rush — hurry

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