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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. stem — to come from
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stock — shares
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fine — all right
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pitch — completely
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stem — a stem cell

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