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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: suit · rash · stem · pitch · pitcher · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stock — shares
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rash — a series
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stem — of a plant

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