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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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Word bank
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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: pitch · rock · cap · firm · rash · prune · stock · face

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rash — a series
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cap — a lid
  14. face — to confront
  15. firm — steady
  16. rock — music
  17. stock — shares
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. firm — decided
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pitch — completely
  23. cap — a hat
  24. firm — a company

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