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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bass — low music
  5. ground — a position
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — of a king
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stock — shares
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stock — goods
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stock — a soup base

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