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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: fine · fan · root · bowl · bear · pop · stock · pitch

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. bear — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stock — shares
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — all right
  16. pop — music
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. pop — soda
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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