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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rock — music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stock — shares
  6. rest — a break
  7. suit — clothes
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. craft — a skill
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stock — goods
  19. game — a match
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rock — a stone

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