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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. firm — a company
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pop — soda
  8. cell — a phone
  9. firm — decided
  10. pop — music
  11. root — of a plant
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cell — in biology
  14. root — of a word
  15. pop — to visit
  16. root — the cause
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. firm — steady

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