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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stock — shares
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. drill — army training
  9. cell — in biology
  10. staff — employees
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. drill — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. stock — goods
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. stock — a soup base

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