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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pop — soda
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. shower — rain
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pop — to visit
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. charge — electricity
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. charge — in control
  14. pop — music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. plane — a tool
  17. present — there
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stock — goods
  20. charge — a price
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. scale — in music
  23. wave — with your hand
  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