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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: current · stock · pit · pound · land · bowl · saw · toast

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pit — in a race
  6. saw — the tool
  7. land — to come down
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. stock — goods
  12. toast — bread
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. current — happening now
  19. stock — shares
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. land — ground

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