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

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. track — a path
  4. scale — in music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stock — goods
  9. track — to keep track
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. track — a song
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pit — a hole

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