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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — crushed
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stock — goods
  8. rock — music
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stock — shares
  14. plane — a tool
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. track — a song
  18. ground — a position
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. kid — child
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. stock — a soup base

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