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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. plane — a tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rest — a break
  10. toast — bread
  11. season — of the year
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. saw — the tool
  17. capital — money
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. capital — a city
  23. bulb — for light
  24. capital — a big letter

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