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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stock — goods
  3. rush — hurry
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ground — a position
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ground — the earth
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. mark — a trace
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ground — crushed
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stock — shares
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. field — a subject

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