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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stock — shares
  3. land — to come down
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. scale — in music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. stock — goods
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fork — in a road
  24. plane — a tool

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