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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. present — there
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stock — shares
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pop — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — to grow
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. net — after costs
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. stock — goods

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