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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: ball · tear · file · fan · bulb · stock · calf · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stock — shares
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bulb — for light
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. file — a document
  15. pitch — completely
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tear — from crying

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