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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 116 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. can — a tin
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ball — a dance
  7. saw — the tool
  8. scale — in music
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. saw — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. scale — size or range
  19. ball — a great time
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. can — a tin
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. scale — for weighing

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