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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: roll · chair · stock · trunk · chest · pitch · key · bank

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stock — shares
  3. key — in music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. roll — a list
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. roll — a cake
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bank — for money
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. chest — a box
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. key — the most important part

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