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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stock — goods
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fine — all right
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pop — music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. plane — a tool
  18. track — a song
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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