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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: last · bear · object · stock · hand · pitch · club · fan

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stock — shares
  7. last — final
  8. object — to protest
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. bear — the animal
  13. club — a group
  14. last — finally
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. club — for golf
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. club — for dancing
  20. last — to go on
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stock — goods

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