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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
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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: pitcher · game · current · firm · stock · leaves · cap · fall

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stock — shares
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — to drop
  6. firm — steady
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cap — a hat
  9. game — wild animals
  10. fall — to drop
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fall — the season
  13. current — of water
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cap — of ice
  20. firm — a company
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stock — goods
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cap — a lid

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