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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. march — music
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. drill — the tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stock — goods
  7. suit — in cards
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. drill — a practice
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. suit — clothes
  16. kick — in football
  17. drill — army training
  18. foot — a measure
  19. content — the amount
  20. march — the month
  21. plane — a tool
  22. content — happy
  23. march — the month
  24. foot — part of the body

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