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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: wave · fine · stock · nail · pitcher · charge · pitch · rash

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stock — goods
  7. fine — all right
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. rash — a series
  13. pitch — completely
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. charge — electricity
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rash — hasty
  21. charge — in control
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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