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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: mine · lean · dip · arm · stock · plane · wake · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wake — a trail
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stock — goods
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lean — thin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pitch — completely
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lean — to bend
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stock — shares
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mine — for digging

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