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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. roll — a cake
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fork — in a road
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stock — shares
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rock — music
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. roll — a list
  24. pitcher — a jug

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