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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · pit · racket · cap · ground · plane · field · bore

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cap — a hat
  5. ground — crushed
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cap — a lid
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cap — of ice
  13. ground — a position
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stock — shares
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. field — for sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ground — the earth
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  24. stock — goods

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