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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. race — humankind
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. race — the arms race
  8. spell — magic
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stock — goods
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bank — for money
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. race — a contest
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spell — letters
  24. can — a tin

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