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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: cap · row · mark · chip · pitch · squash · coach · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. squash — the sport
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mark — a grade
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stock — shares
  14. row — a line
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chip — to eat
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pitch — completely
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cap — a lid
  24. row — to paddle

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