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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: stock · pitch · race · plane · pass · mine · temple · spring

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stock — goods
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. race — the arms race
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stock — shares
  17. spring — a coil
  18. race — humankind
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. spring — the season
  21. mine — for digging
  22. spring — of water
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. race — a contest

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