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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: bass · sharp · mine · pit · can · stock · pitcher · pitch

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stock — shares
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. can — a tin
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stock — goods
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitch — a sports field

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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