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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stock — goods
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stock — shares
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wind — moving air

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