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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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. stock — goods
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. net — after costs
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. stock — shares
  8. chest — of your body
  9. net — in sport
  10. root — of a word
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. net — for catching
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. root — of a plant
  17. chest — of your body
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. root — the cause
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. chest — a box
  24. cell — in biology

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