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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
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: kid · pitch · stock · hand · bore · roll · pit · lean

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stock — goods
  10. lean — thin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pit — in a race
  19. roll — a list
  20. kid — to tease
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. hand — help
  24. stock — shares

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