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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stock — shares
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. roll — a list
  18. chest — a box
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stock — goods
  24. mug — a cup

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