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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.

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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. spring — the season
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. net — for catching
  6. spring — of water
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. net — in sport
  10. rush — hurry
  11. net — after costs
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stock — goods
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stock — shares
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. spring — a coil

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