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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: hand · patient · stock · snap · straw · club · charge · pitch

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stock — shares
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. hand — help
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. charge — in control
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stock — goods
  14. hand — in cards
  15. charge — a price
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — electricity
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. club — for golf

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