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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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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: bulb · last · mark · stock · hide · board · pitch · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. board — a committee
  5. last — to go on
  6. stock — goods
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. last — final
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pitch — completely
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mark — a trace
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. board — to get on
  20. mark — a grade
  21. last — finally
  22. stock — shares
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. board — a flat piece

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