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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.

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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: swing · bat · craft · chip · pitch · hide · stock · rush

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rush — hurry
  8. craft — a skill
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. stock — shares
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stock — goods
  15. chip — for betting
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. swing — to play on
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rush — to hurry
  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