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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. track — a song
  6. court — of law
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. wake — a trail
  10. branch — a division
  11. stock — goods
  12. court — of a king
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stock — shares
  18. court — for sport
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. track — a path
  23. can — a tin
  24. branch — of a tree

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