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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: pitch · content · stand · stock · suit · race · calf · date

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. suit — clothes
  3. content — the amount
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. race — the arms race
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. content — happy
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pitch — completely
  15. suit — in cards
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. race — humankind
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. race — a contest
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stock — goods

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