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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: pitch · season · row · stock · roll · bass · court · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pitch — completely
  3. row — a line
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. season — of the year
  6. stock — shares
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. court — of law
  11. row — to paddle
  12. court — for sport
  13. bass — low music
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bass — the fish
  16. court — of a king
  17. roll — a list
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. season — in sport
  21. roll — a cake
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stock — goods
  24. season — to add flavour

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