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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stock — goods
  3. scale — in music
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. current — of water
  10. bore — to tire
  11. current — happening now
  12. plane — a tool
  13. current — electric
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. stock — shares
  17. wake — a trail
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bore — to drill

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