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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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468
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: charge · ball · pit · fine · stock · squash · pitch · chair

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fine — all right
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stock — shares
  6. pitch — completely
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pit — in a race
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pit — a hole
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. charge — a price
  20. stock — goods
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. charge — in control

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