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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bass — the fish
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stock — goods
  5. object — an aim
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. object — to protest
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. object — a thing
  13. file — a tool
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. file — a document
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. file — a line of people
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rush — hurry

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