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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 120 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 · mine · stock · pit · mug · fall · pitcher · bulb

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. mug — a face
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stock — goods
  10. fall — the season
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stock — shares
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mug — a cup
  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