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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stock — goods
  16. degree — an amount
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stock — shares
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. rash — a series

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