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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 116 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 · bowl · season · stock · drill · chair · pop · stand

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. season — of the year
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. season — in sport
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pop — music
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. chair — a leader

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