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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mark — a trace
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pound — a weight
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. saw — the tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. board — a committee
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mark — a grade
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stock — shares
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stock — goods
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. plane — an aircraft

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