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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pop — music
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. march — the month
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stock — goods
  8. march — the month
  9. stock — shares
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. march — music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bank — for money
  18. chest — a box
  19. current — happening now
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bank — for money
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pop — soda

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