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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stock — goods
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. perch — the fish
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stock — shares
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pitch — completely
  20. branch — a division
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. racket — a loud noise

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