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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. present — the time now
  3. row — a line
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. present — a gift
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. squash — the sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. present — there
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. squash — to crush
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. row — to paddle
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. plane — a tool
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. squash — the vegetable

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