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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: stock · fork · hide · pound · row · pitch · press · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. press — to push
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. row — a line
  9. press — a publisher
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stock — goods
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. row — to paddle
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. stock — shares
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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