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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 124 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. face — to point toward
  3. saw — the tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. mark — a grade
  6. face — to confront
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. net — in sport
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stock — goods
  17. net — after costs
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mark — a trace
  24. arm — part of the body

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