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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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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: lean · dip · cap · bank · field · nail · stock · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. field — for sport
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bank — for money
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stock — goods
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bank — of a river
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. field — a subject
  17. stock — shares
  18. lean — thin
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bank — for money
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cap — a hat
  24. field — farmland

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