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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: ball · squash · wax · pitcher · vault · stock · pitch · chip

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stock — goods
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stock — shares
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. vault — a safe
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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