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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — shares
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. content — the amount
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pass — a permit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — to trim
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. content — happy
  19. march — music
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pitch — completely
  22. prune — to trim
  23. march — the month
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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