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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. stock — goods
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bat — the animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. board — to get on
  16. net — for catching
  17. board — a committee
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. net — in sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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