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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 120 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: ball · stock · pitch · lean · deal · rule · lash · clip

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pitch — completely
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. deal — to handle
  6. clip — a video
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. lean — thin
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rule — government
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stock — goods
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stock — shares
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. clip — for paper

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