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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: pitch · perch · saw · lash · stock · bound · racket · charge

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. charge — in control
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pitch — completely
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stock — goods
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bound — tied together
  10. perch — the fish
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bound — obliged
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. saw — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. charge — a price
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stock — shares
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bound — certain

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