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

Word bank: stock · kick · row · pitch · fork · fine · drill · cell

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. kick — in football
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fine — all right
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. drill — army training
  13. row — to paddle
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stock — goods
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cell — in biology
  18. drill — a practice
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stock — shares
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. row — a quarrel

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