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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: pitch · vault · stick · ball · squash · row · stock · rash

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. row — a line
  11. rash — a series
  12. squash — to crush
  13. ball — a great time
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. row — to paddle
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ball — a round shape

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