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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. land — to come down
  3. march — the month
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stock — goods
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. march — the month
  9. land — ground
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. land — a country
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. march — music
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. mouse — the animal

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