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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pitch — a sports field

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