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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. craft — boats
  5. rock — a stone
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. drill — army training
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. stock — goods
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stock — shares
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rock — music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pound — a weight
  24. deal — to handle

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