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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: pitch · squash · bass · stock · rock · press · chair · stem

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. squash — the sport
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bass — the fish
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rock — music
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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