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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cue — for pool
  6. game — a match
  7. stock — goods
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pitch — completely
  14. squash — to crush
  15. stock — shares
  16. fine — all right
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. racket — for tennis

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