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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fork — in a road
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. court — of a king
  9. firm — steady
  10. date — the fruit
  11. stock — goods
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. firm — decided
  15. court — for sport
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. court — of law
  20. file — a document
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. firm — a company
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a tool

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