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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. fork — in a road
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. shower — to wash
  16. drill — army training
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. shower — rain
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wind — moving air
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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