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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stock — shares
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. field — for sport
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bore — to drill
  11. field — farmland
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cell — in biology
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. deal — to handle
  20. field — a subject
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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