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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: rock · leaves · stock · pitch · pass · rest · pitcher · squash

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. squash — the sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stock — goods
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rest — a break
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rest — what's left

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