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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 116 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. shower — rain
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. scale — in music
  8. shower — to wash
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pass — a permit
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. scale — size or range
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stock — goods
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pass — to spend time

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