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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stock — shares
  4. chip — to eat
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. saw — the tool
  10. shower — to wash
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stock — goods
  14. shower — rain
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. scale — in music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bore — to drill
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. scale — for weighing

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