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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: spell · saw · spring · date · stand · hand · stock · pitch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stand — to bear
  6. hand — help
  7. date — the fruit
  8. spell — magic
  9. spring — the season
  10. pitch — completely
  11. spring — of water
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. spell — a short time
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. spring — a coil
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. spell — letters
  23. hand — part of the body
  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