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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 120 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 · stem · cap · stock · calf · net · press · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. fall — to drop
  2. net — for catching
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stock — shares
  5. fall — the season
  6. stock — goods
  7. stem — to come from
  8. net — after costs
  9. press — to push
  10. cap — of ice
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pitch — completely
  16. net — in sport
  17. fall — to drop
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cap — a lid
  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