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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bulb — for light
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bulb — for light
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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