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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: pitcher · straw · bat · foot · charge · stock · pit · face

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stock — shares
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. charge — in control
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stock — goods
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. charge — a price
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. straw — a straw man

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