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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wake — a trail
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. content — the amount
  11. stock — goods
  12. current — of water
  13. stock — shares
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. scale — size or range
  16. current — happening now
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. current — electric
  23. scale — in music
  24. plane — a tool

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