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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. net — in sport
  3. rock — a stone
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stock — goods
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. firm — steady
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. firm — a company
  15. sharp — clever
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. firm — decided
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. roll — a list

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