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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. tear — from crying
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. last — finally
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stock — shares
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. last — final
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. tear — to rip
  17. chip — for betting
  18. last — to go on
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. chip — to eat
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pound — a weight

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