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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
468
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: temple · bay · squash · pitch · chip · clip · pitcher · stock

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stock — shares
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. squash — the sport
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. clip — a video
  17. stock — goods
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pitch — completely
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. squash — to crush

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