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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cue — a signal
  8. capital — a city
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stock — goods
  12. fall — to drop
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pop — soda
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pop — music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. capital — money
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fall — the season
  24. stock — shares

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