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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: pass · pitch · stock · wound · field · saw · charge · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wound — an injury
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pitch — completely
  5. field — a subject
  6. pass — a permit
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stock — goods
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. charge — in control
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stock — shares
  15. field — for sport
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. field — farmland
  18. charge — a price
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pass — to succeed

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