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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lean — to bend
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. root — the cause
  6. cap — a hat
  7. root — of a plant
  8. march — the month
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. root — of a word
  11. stock — shares
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cap — of ice
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cap — a lid
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. game — a match

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