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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: kid · cap · pitch · field · object · stock · dip · foot

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. foot — a measure
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. field — a subject
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. cap — a lid
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. field — farmland
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. field — for sport
  19. kid — child
  20. cap — of ice
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stock — shares
  23. object — to protest
  24. cap — a hat

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