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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. scale — size or range
  3. plane — a tool
  4. net — in sport
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. dip — to sink
  7. net — after costs
  8. track — a song
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mug — a cup
  11. branch — a division
  12. mug — a face
  13. scale — in music
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mug — to rob
  24. track — a path

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