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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stock — goods
  15. scale — size or range
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fine — all right
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stock — shares
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. hand — in cards
  24. scale — in music

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