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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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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 · mate · mark · pit · tear · toast · branch · pitch

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. stock — goods
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mate — a partner
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pit — in a race
  11. toast — bread
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. branch — a division
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mark — a grade
  23. tear — from crying
  24. toast — the most admired

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