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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: band · content · cabinet · pitch · fine · stock · bowl · ground

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. stock — shares
  4. band — a ring
  5. content — the amount
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitch — completely
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stock — goods
  12. fine — all right
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. band — a music group
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. content — happy
  18. fine — high quality
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ground — a position
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stock — a soup base

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