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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: pit · kick · pitch · stock · spring · season · bound · chair

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stock — goods
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. season — in sport
  5. kick — in football
  6. pitch — completely
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stock — shares
  14. spring — of water
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pit — a hole
  19. season — of the year
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. spring — the season
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. season — to add flavour

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