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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. mark — a grade
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stock — shares
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fine — all right
  16. rash — a series
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. plane — a 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