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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: stock · coach · pitch · pop · saw · rash · trunk · staff

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rash — a series
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pitch — completely
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. staff — employees
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pop — to visit
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stock — shares
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pop — soda
  15. staff — employees
  16. saw — the tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stock — goods
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pop — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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