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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: stand · pit · tear · stock · pitcher · cabinet · bass · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stock — shares
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bass — the fish
  11. board — to get on
  12. bass — low music
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. board — a committee
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stock — goods
  24. pitcher — a jug

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