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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · pitch · leaves · straw · stock · club

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. club — for golf
  5. mug — a cup
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mug — a face
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pitch — completely
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stock — goods
  18. club — a group

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