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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: pitch · rest · shower · foot · track · dip · plane · stock

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stock — shares
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rest — what's left
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rest — a break
  9. track — a path
  10. foot — a measure
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. track — a song
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stock — goods
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. plane — a tool
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. shower — rain
  24. plane — in geometry

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