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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · pound · mate · pitch · pitcher · ruler · stock · rock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stock — goods
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rock — music
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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