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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stock — shares
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wind — moving air
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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