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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mug — a cup
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stock — goods
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. prune — to trim
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. track — a song
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pass — a permit
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mug — a face
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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