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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 120 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: pitch · dip · current · stock · field · bear · ball · drill

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. drill — army training
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bear — the animal
  6. current — of water
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. current — happening now
  11. ball — a dance
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bear — the animal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. field — a subject
  18. stock — goods
  19. field — farmland
  20. stock — shares
  21. field — for sport
  22. drill — a practice
  23. current — electric
  24. bear — to put up with

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