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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: current · bank · prune · pitch · field · stock · plane · can

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bank — for money
  4. current — of water
  5. plane — a tool
  6. current — happening now
  7. bank — of a river
  8. can — a tin
  9. field — farmland
  10. stock — goods
  11. prune — to trim
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. field — for sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. stock — shares
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. prune — to trim
  20. field — a subject
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. plane — in geometry

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