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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. saw — the tool
  4. march — the month
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. current — happening now
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stock — shares
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. march — music
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stock — goods
  15. game — wild animals
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. current — of water
  19. game — a match
  20. current — electric
  21. plane — a tool
  22. march — the month
  23. perch — the fish
  24. saw — the tool

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