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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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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: stand · stock · suit · face · mine · pitch · fine · deal

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stand — to bear
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stock — shares
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pitch — completely
  13. face — to confront
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. face — part of the head
  19. suit — in cards
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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