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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. ground — a position
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bank — for money
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stock — shares
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stock — goods
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. content — the amount
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. sharp — clever

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