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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
468
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: dip · cell · game · pitch · fall · stock · pitcher · mouse

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pitch — completely
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — shares
  11. game — a match
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cell — in biology
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cell — a phone
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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