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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 116 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: pitch · stock · content · chair · key · perch · nail · fall

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. content — the amount
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — completely
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. key — in music
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. chair — a leader
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fall — the season
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stock — shares

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