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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: stand · pitch · march · straw · hide · stock · clip · dip

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stand — to bear
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. march — the month
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — for paper
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. march — music
  16. stock — shares
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitch — completely
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. march — the month

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