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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kid — child
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. track — a song
  7. prune — to trim
  8. kid — to tease
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bass — the fish
  12. staff — employees
  13. bass — low music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. staff — employees
  16. press — to push
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stock — goods
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. track — a path
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. press — a publisher
  24. prune — the fruit

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