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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. hand — in cards
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stock — shares
  9. bound — certain
  10. club — for golf
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cap — a lid
  15. snap — to click
  16. hand — help
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bound — obliged
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. club — a group
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pitch — completely

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