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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: mate · rush · prune · stock · stand · pitch · pass · calf

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stock — shares
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mate — a partner
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mate — to breed
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stock — goods

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