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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stock — shares
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. squash — to crush
  15. stock — goods
  16. craft — boats
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. band — a ring
  22. mine — for digging
  23. band — a music group
  24. chip — to eat

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