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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — goods
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitch — completely
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stock — shares
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bank — of a river
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fine — a penalty

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