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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 120 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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. land — a country
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. drill — a practice
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bank — for money
  8. current — happening now
  9. stock — shares
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. drill — army training
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — to come down
  19. current — of water
  20. pitch — completely
  21. current — electric
  22. saw — the tool
  23. drill — the tool
  24. land — ground

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