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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 · branch · pitch · ball · perch · lean · plane · bore

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stock — goods
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stock — shares
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bore — to drill
  14. branch — a division
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. ball — a dance
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. plane — an aircraft

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