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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 116 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: hide · present · content · pitcher · pitch · wave · straw · stock

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stock — shares
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. present — the time now
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. content — happy
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. content — the amount
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. present — a gift
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. present — there

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