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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stock — shares
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. scale — in music
  12. pop — music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pop — soda
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ball — a great time

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