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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. degree — an amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. stock — shares
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. content — happy
  24. pound — a weight

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