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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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Word bank
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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. spring — of water
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spring — the season
  10. stock — goods
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. spring — a coil
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. current — electric
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — happening now
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. plane — a tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. current — of water
  24. cabinet — ministers

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