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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: fan · pitch · fine · capital · bay · stock · rash · chip

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. capital — money
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stock — goods
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stock — shares
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pitch — completely
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. capital — a city
  24. fine — all right

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