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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bass — low music
  5. pitch — completely
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stock — goods
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. row — a line
  15. object — to protest
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stock — shares
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. row — to paddle
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. bass — the fish

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