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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: ball · stock · pitch · kick · current · rash · wave · season

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rash — a series
  6. kick — in football
  7. ball — a great time
  8. current — happening now
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. pitch — completely
  12. current — of water
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stock — goods
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. current — electric
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. season — of the year
  20. stock — shares
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ball — a dance
  24. kick — with a 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