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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. spell — letters
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. can — a tin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. spell — magic
  17. track — a path
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bear — the animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pass — a permit
  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