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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pass — a permit
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rock — a stone
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. last — to go on
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stock — goods
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stock — shares
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. last — final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. last — finally
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rock — music
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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