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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bass — the fish
  4. current — happening now
  5. prune — to trim
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stock — shares
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. prune — to trim
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bass — low music
  14. mate — a partner
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. plane — a tool
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. stock — goods
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. sharp — exactly

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