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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stock — goods
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rash — hasty
  8. net — after costs
  9. stock — shares
  10. net — in sport
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pitch — completely
  14. drill — army training
  15. rock — music
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rock — a stone
  19. net — for catching
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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