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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. craft — boats
  4. capital — a city
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stock — shares
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. craft — a skill
  10. file — a document
  11. stock — goods
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. deal — to handle
  14. file — a line of people
  15. key — for a lock
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. file — a tool
  19. key — in music
  20. capital — money
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. key — the most important part
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stock — a soup base

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