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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: bat · pitch · craft · hide · lash · chair · stock · mate

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stock — shares
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mate — a partner
  14. craft — a skill
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. craft — boats
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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