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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. hand — help
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. kick — in football
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. craft — boats
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stock — shares
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. craft — a skill

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