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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. spell — letters
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bound — certain
  7. plane — a tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. staff — employees
  10. mark — a grade
  11. spell — a short time
  12. staff — a stick
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. staff — employees
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stock — goods
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. squash — the sport
  24. spell — magic

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