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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: firm · capital · calf · stock · pitch · present · staff · trunk

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. firm — a company
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. firm — decided
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stock — shares
  12. staff — a stick
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. staff — employees
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. present — a gift
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. staff — employees

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