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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. spell — letters
  4. bass — low music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stock — shares
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. deal — to handle

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