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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stock — shares
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. last — finally
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. club — for golf
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. last — final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rush — hurry
  22. last — to go on
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stock — goods

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