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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · march · bowl · scale · bay · track · pitch · squash

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stock — goods
  4. scale — in music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. scale — size or range
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. track — a song
  12. pitch — completely
  13. march — music
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. march — the month
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. march — the month
  22. squash — to crush
  23. track — a path
  24. stock — shares

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