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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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. plane — a tool
  3. track — a song
  4. rest — a break
  5. pop — soda
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stock — shares
  9. capital — a city
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stock — goods
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pop — music
  14. track — a path
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — all right
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rest — what's left

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