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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. object — to protest
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cell — in biology
  15. roll — a cake
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cell — a phone
  22. content — the amount
  23. stock — goods
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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