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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: board · scale · stock · mark · shower · club · pitcher · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. scale — in music
  3. pitch — completely
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. shower — rain
  8. scale — size or range
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. stock — goods
  13. club — a group
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. board — to get on
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. shower — to wash
  21. club — for golf
  22. mark — a trace
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. stock — shares

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