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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rest — a break
  4. charge — a price
  5. rest — what's left
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. land — a country
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. land — ground
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. plane — a tool
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. charge — in control
  16. kid — child
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stock — goods
  19. land — to come down
  20. fine — all right
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stock — shares
  23. rest — what's left
  24. temple — a place of worship

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