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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stock — shares
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pop — music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pop — soda
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitch — completely
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pop — to visit
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stock — goods
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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