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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 · jam · roll · bay · rush · branch · pop

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pitch — completely
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. roll — a list
  11. pop — soda
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stock — goods
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. branch — a division
  21. stock — shares
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pop — music

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