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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: stock · pitch · swing · drill · mouse · file · kick · cabinet

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. kick — in football
  7. file — a document
  8. pitch — completely
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stock — shares
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a tool
  20. stock — goods
  21. file — a line of people
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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