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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: toast · pitch · plane · dip · nail · date · bark · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. date — the fruit
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. toast — bread
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pitch — completely
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. dip — to sink
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stock — goods

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