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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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stock — shares
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stock — goods
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cue — a hint
  16. spring — of water
  17. ground — crushed
  18. spring — the season
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cue — a signal
  22. suit — to fit
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. suit — clothes

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