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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pop — soda
  4. ground — a position
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stock — shares
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stock — goods
  15. pitch — completely
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rest — a break
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. hand — help
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mark — a grade
  24. arm — a part of something

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