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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rest — a break
  8. stock — goods
  9. saw — the tool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stand — to bear
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. stand — for spectators

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