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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. kid — to tease
  4. last — finally
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. firm — steady
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. last — final
  9. kid — child
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stock — shares
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fine — high quality
  15. capital — a city
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fine — all right
  20. last — to go on
  21. capital — money
  22. firm — decided
  23. stock — goods
  24. firm — a company

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