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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: march · spell · can · stock · present · wound · pitch · chip

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. present — a gift
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. stock — shares
  5. march — the month
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spell — magic
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. march — the month
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitch — completely
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. chip — for betting
  17. spell — a short time
  18. present — the time now
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. present — there
  21. spell — letters
  22. march — music
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stock — goods

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