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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: chip · pitch · suit · stock · content · cold

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cold — not warm
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stock — shares
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cold — an illness
  15. content — happy
  16. stock — goods
  17. suit — to fit
  18. content — the amount

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