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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: wound · stock · deal · lean · pitch · cabinet · season · current

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wound — an injury
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lean — to bend
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stock — goods
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. current — happening now
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. season — of the year
  20. current — of water
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wound — an injury
  23. current — electric
  24. season — in sport

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