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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.

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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: calf · can · bat · chip · stock · bank · scale · pitch

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. scale — size or range
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bank — for money
  13. stock — goods
  14. can — a tin
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. can — a tin
  17. bat — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. chip — for betting
  21. scale — in music
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stock — shares
  24. calf — of the leg

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