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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stock — goods
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. net — in sport
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. foot — a measure
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stock — shares
  17. bat — the animal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. net — after costs
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. hand — help
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rest — a break
  24. net — for catching

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