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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. object — a thing
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. roll — a cake
  7. club — for dancing
  8. key — for a lock
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stock — goods
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — the most important part
  13. club — a group
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. object — to protest
  17. prune — to trim
  18. club — for golf
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. object — an aim
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. key — in music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. prune — the fruit

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