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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. spell — letters
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. firm — decided
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stock — shares
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bass — low music
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. firm — steady
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. firm — a company
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. spell — magic
  16. pass — a permit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rash — hasty
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stock — goods
  24. rash — a series

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