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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stock — goods
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stock — shares
  11. wake — a trail
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cue — a hint
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. shower — rain
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stock — a soup base

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