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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. club — a group
  10. snap — to click
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fall — to drop
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. club — for golf
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stock — shares

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