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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. season — in sport
  4. pitch — completely
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stock — shares
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. track — a song
  12. tube — a container
  13. rock — a stone
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rock — music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stock — goods
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chip — to eat
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. chip — for betting
  24. season — of the year

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