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

Word bank: stock · patient · racket · pitch · ruler · kick

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stock — shares
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stock — goods
  12. pitch — completely
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stock — a soup base

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