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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: bulb · pitch · stock · roll · object · rash · plane · shower

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rash — a series
  5. shower — rain
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rash — hasty
  9. roll — a list
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. shower — to wash
  16. object — to protest
  17. stock — goods
  18. roll — a cake
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bulb — for light
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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