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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mate — to breed
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stock — shares
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cell — in biology
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. row — a line
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stock — goods
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. row — to paddle

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