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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stock — goods
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fall — the season
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stock — shares
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bear — the animal

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