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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stock — shares
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stock — goods
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. game — a match
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. tear — to rip
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wound — an injury
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wound — an injury

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