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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. stock — shares
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tube — the underground
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rock — a stone
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rock — music
  13. stock — goods
  14. face — part of the head
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. dip — to sink
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tube — a container
  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