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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. charge — a price
  3. stock — shares
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bank — for money
  13. bear — the animal
  14. field — a subject
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. kick — in football
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. stock — goods
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bear — the animal
  24. charge — in control

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