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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. track — a path
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pitch — completely
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stock — shares
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. stock — goods
  23. rock — music
  24. mark — a grade

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