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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: stock · pitch · sharp · fan · mine · stick · ball · dip

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stock — shares
  15. mine — for digging
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ball — a great time
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stock — goods
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mine — an explosive

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