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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cell — in biology
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. snap — to click
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. content — happy
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — the amount
  22. vault — a safe
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pitch — completely

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