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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. key — the most important part
  4. shower — rain
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stock — goods
  8. fork — in a road
  9. shower — to wash
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. root — of a word
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. key — in music
  19. stock — shares
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. root — the cause
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bass — low music

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