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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: pitcher · chip · season · suit · stock · scale · cell · bore

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. season — in sport
  7. chip — to eat
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stock — goods
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. scale — size or range
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. season — of the year
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bore — to drill
  24. scale — in music

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