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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stock — goods
  4. file — a tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. scale — size or range
  8. file — a document
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. mine — for digging
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stock — shares
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. charge — a price
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. file — a line of people
  24. dip — to dunk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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