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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · pitch · season · current · club · pop · rash · lean

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pop — soda
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lean — thin
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. season — of the year
  9. current — of water
  10. pitch — completely
  11. current — electric
  12. stock — shares
  13. club — a group
  14. stock — goods
  15. current — happening now
  16. pop — music
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rash — a series
  19. pop — to visit
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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