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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitch — completely
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. club — for golf
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rash — hasty
  9. club — a group
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rest — a break
  20. stock — shares
  21. rash — a series
  22. track — a song
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rest — what's left

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