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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: mark · pitch · vault · pitcher · stock · prune · board · mug

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. board — to get on
  8. mug — a face
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mark — a grade
  12. stock — shares
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. board — a committee
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stock — goods
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stock — a soup base

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