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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rock — music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. plane — a tool
  11. craft — boats
  12. pit — in a race
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stock — shares
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. craft — a handicraft

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