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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stock — goods
  3. track — a song
  4. content — the amount
  5. net — for catching
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. net — in sport
  8. pitch — completely
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. track — a path
  13. craft — a skill
  14. net — after costs
  15. stock — shares
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. content — happy
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. cap — a lid

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