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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pitch — completely
  7. swing — music
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. firm — decided
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. firm — steady
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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