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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: mouse · deal · mug · pitch · stock · coach · cell · chair

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mug — a face
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stock — shares
  13. pitch — completely
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mug — a cup
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. coach — a trainer

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