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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: squash · stock · pitch · plane · bank · foot · branch · nail

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. branch — a division
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bank — for money
  10. squash — the sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. stock — shares
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stock — goods
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pitch — completely

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