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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: firm · stock · squash · racket · pitch · bowl · bank · land

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. firm — decided
  3. stock — shares
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stock — goods
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. firm — steady
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. pitch — completely
  20. firm — a company
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. racket — a loud noise

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