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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. plane — a tool
  3. face — to confront
  4. pop — music
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. court — of a king
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. ground — a position
  9. pop — to visit
  10. season — in sport
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stock — shares
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. court — of law
  15. ground — crushed
  16. craft — boats
  17. ground — the earth
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. court — for sport
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. season — of the year
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stock — goods
  24. pop — soda

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