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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stock — shares
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. chip — for betting
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pop — to visit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pitch — completely
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pop — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pop — soda
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stock — goods
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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