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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 · jam · spell · row · pitch · hide · straw · bear

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pitch — completely
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. row — a line
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stock — goods
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. stock — shares
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. spell — magic

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