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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: scale · land · staff · pitch · calf · stock · straw · bulb

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. land — ground
  3. bulb — for light
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. land — to come down
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. scale — size or range
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stock — shares
  20. land — a country
  21. pitch — completely
  22. scale — in music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitch — a sports field

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