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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stock — goods
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pitch — completely
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. season — of the year
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stock — shares
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. row — a line
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pop — music
  18. bank — for money
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bank — of a river
  23. season — in sport
  24. bank — for money

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