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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 120 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
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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: coach · pitch · scale · current · hide · stick · stock · prune

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. prune — to trim
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — goods
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — happening now
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitch — completely
  13. scale — in music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. current — electric
  17. scale — size or range
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. current — of water
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitch — a sports field

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