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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cue — a hint
  6. row — a line
  7. race — a contest
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stock — shares
  10. capital — money
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stock — goods
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cue — for pool
  17. capital — a city
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cue — a signal
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pitch — completely
  24. race — humankind

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