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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 · current · last · stock · bowl · firm · board · suit

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. last — final
  5. firm — a company
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stock — goods
  8. current — electric
  9. board — to get on
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. current — of water
  13. firm — steady
  14. last — to go on
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. firm — decided
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. last — finally
  21. board — a committee
  22. current — happening now
  23. suit — to fit
  24. stock — a soup base

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