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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stock — shares
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bat — the animal
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. plane — a tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stock — goods
  24. fork — to eat with

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