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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · last · stock · pitch · bark · pitcher · plane · bulb

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stock — goods
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — to shout
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stock — shares
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. last — to go on
  16. craft — boats
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. last — final
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bulb — for light
  24. last — finally

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