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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: pitch · stock · pop · hand · can · kick · squash · band

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. kick — in football
  5. can — a tin
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pop — music
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pitch — completely
  14. hand — help
  15. pop — to visit
  16. band — a music group
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. squash — to crush
  21. band — a ring
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stock — goods
  24. can — a tin

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