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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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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. charge — a price
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stock — shares
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stem — to come from
  10. charge — in control
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. current — of water
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bore — to tire
  17. current — happening now
  18. stock — goods
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bore — to drill
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. current — electric
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. hand — help

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