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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pitch — completely
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wound — an injury
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stock — goods
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pass — a permit

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