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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 124 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wound — an injury
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cue — for pool
  9. object — an aim
  10. stock — shares
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pass — a permit
  14. toast — bread
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. object — to protest
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. cue — a hint
  22. object — a thing
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wound — an injury

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