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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. stock — shares
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stock — goods
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fine — all right
  22. kid — child
  23. deal — to handle
  24. branch — a division

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