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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — goods
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. plane — a tool
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. racket — for tennis

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