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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 jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. pitch — completely
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. ground — the earth
  7. key — for a lock
  8. swing — in golf
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. ground — crushed
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ground — a position
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cell — a phone
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cell — in biology
  24. stock — a soup base

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