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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. court — for sport
  4. file — a tool
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. file — a line of people
  8. deal — to handle
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — a tool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stock — shares
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. court — of law
  19. file — a document
  20. can — a tin
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stock — goods
  24. court — of a king

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