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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cap — a lid
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stock — goods
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rest — a break
  23. mate — to breed
  24. scale — size or range

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