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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 120 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stock — shares
  6. track — a song
  7. field — a subject
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. present — a gift
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. mug — a cup
  17. field — farmland
  18. stock — goods
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. field — for sport
  21. track — a path
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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