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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stock — goods
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — of water
  6. prune — to trim
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. prune — to trim
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. current — happening now
  12. craft — a skill
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. current — electric
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stock — shares
  20. craft — boats
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pound — for dogs

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