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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: cap · ball · stock · object · lie · pitch · season · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. object — an aim
  7. stock — shares
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. season — of the year
  10. object — to protest
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ball — a dance
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. file — a tool
  16. object — a thing
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stock — goods
  21. cap — of ice
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lie — to recline
  24. season — in sport

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