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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 · season · firm · chip · press · pit · patient · pitcher

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. firm — a company
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pit — a hole
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. season — of the year
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. firm — decided
  20. stock — goods
  21. press — newspapers
  22. firm — steady
  23. press — to push
  24. stock — shares

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