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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. squash — to crush
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stock — shares
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. board — a committee
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rush — hurry
  15. squash — the sport
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. band — a ring
  19. can — to be able to
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. band — a music group

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