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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: stock · pitch · arm · content · firm · chip · charge · fan

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. firm — steady
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stock — shares
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chip — to eat
  19. content — the amount
  20. firm — a company
  21. charge — electricity
  22. chip — for betting
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fan — to cool the air

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