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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: saw · pop · stock · pitch · bat · plane · band · object

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. object — an aim
  3. pop — music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. band — a music group
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. plane — a tool
  16. object — to protest
  17. stock — goods
  18. band — a ring
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. object — a thing
  24. pitch — completely

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