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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 120 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: pitch · stock · patient · stand · capital · pop · mate · swing

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stock — shares
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pop — music
  6. stock — goods
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pop — to visit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mate — to breed
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. swing — music
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. capital — money
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. capital — a city
  20. pop — soda
  21. swing — to play on
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mate — a partner
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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