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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · pitch · stock · land · bay · nail · spring · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. spring — a coil
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stock — shares
  6. spring — of water
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. land — to come down
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. spring — the season
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stock — goods

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