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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. mug — a face
  4. stock — shares
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rash — a series
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bass — the fish
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rash — hasty
  18. plane — a tool
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bass — low music
  24. plane — in geometry

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