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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: current · pitch · stock · fork · leaves · saw · deal · drill

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. current — of water
  9. saw — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fork — in a road
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stock — shares
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. drill — a practice
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. saw — the tool
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. current — happening now
  23. stock — goods
  24. current — electric

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