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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: stock · pound · tear · bass · bound · drill · pitch · board

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bass — the fish
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tear — from crying
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. tear — to rip
  12. board — a committee
  13. bass — low music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stock — shares
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pound — a weight
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bound — certain

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