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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 116 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: stock · pitch · mate · drill · face · stick · pound · wax

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. drill — army training
  6. stock — shares
  7. mate — to breed
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pitch — completely
  10. face — to confront
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stock — goods
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mate — a friend

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