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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · bowl · stock · pitcher · mate · pitch · cue · cold

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. mate — a friend
  7. tube — a container
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stock — shares
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cold — an illness
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stock — goods
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cold — not warm

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