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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: stick · bay · clip · patient · stock · mug · pitch · game

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. clip — a video
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mug — to rob
  5. clip — to cut
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mug — a face
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stock — goods
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stock — shares
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. game — a match
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. clip — for paper

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