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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: can · racket · patient · deal · capital · pitch · stock · ball

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stock — shares
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. ball — a great time
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stock — goods
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ball — a dance
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. can — to be able to

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