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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
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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: pitch · bark · ball · straw · pound · suit · content · stock

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stock — goods
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stock — shares
  9. content — the amount
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pitch — completely
  17. ball — a dance
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. suit — to fit
  20. ball — a great time
  21. suit — clothes
  22. content — happy
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. straw — dry grass

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