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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stock — goods
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wound — an injury
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rock — a stone
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stand — for spectators

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