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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: dip · file · trunk · pitch · wind · date · stock · pass

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stock — goods
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stock — shares
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pitch — completely
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. file — a document
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. date — the fruit
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pass — a permit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pitch — a sports field

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