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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. content — the amount
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pop — music
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pop — soda
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. net — in sport
  12. last — final
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. net — after costs
  15. bat — the animal
  16. stock — goods
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. last — to go on
  19. content — happy
  20. stock — shares
  21. pop — to visit
  22. last — finally
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. net — for catching

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