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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stock — goods
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mark — a grade
  9. object — to protest
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. board — to get on
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. object — an aim
  18. stock — shares
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. object — a thing
  22. board — a committee
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fall — to drop

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