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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stock — goods
  4. row — to paddle
  5. season — of the year
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. content — happy
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. season — in sport
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. plane — a tool
  20. row — a line
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. content — the amount
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stock — shares

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