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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — a price
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stock — shares
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pass — a permit
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. kid — child
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pitch — completely
  18. charge — in control
  19. bank — for money
  20. sharp — clever
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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