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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. suit — in cards
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stock — shares
  7. craft — boats
  8. kid — to tease
  9. club — a group
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. kid — child
  12. suit — to fit
  13. club — for dancing
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stock — goods
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stand — to bear
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. club — for golf
  22. scale — in music
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pitch — completely

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