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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: charge · bat · pitch · stand · wound · stock · content · bank

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stock — shares
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. content — happy
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stock — goods
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. charge — in control
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bank — for money
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bank — for money

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