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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: dip · kid · ground · stock · bear · nail · pitcher · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stock — shares
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stock — goods
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ground — crushed
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bear — the animal
  23. plane — a tool
  24. dip — to sink

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