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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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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: row · staff · stock · pit · ruler · pitch

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. staff — employees
  4. pitch — completely
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. staff — employees
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. row — a line
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pit — in a race

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