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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. spell — letters
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. degree — from a university
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. spell — magic
  8. stock — goods
  9. degree — an amount
  10. ball — a great time
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bulb — for light
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rock — 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