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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stock — shares
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. spell — letters
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. spring — the season
  10. spell — magic
  11. spring — of water
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stock — goods
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mate — to breed
  22. present — there
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mate — a friend

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