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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: ruler · stock · prune · plane · pitch · board · cabinet · spring

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. spring — the season
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. prune — to trim
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. board — a committee
  14. stock — goods
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spring — of water
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stock — shares
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ruler — a monarch

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