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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wake — a trail
  4. foot — a measure
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rule — government
  7. board — to get on
  8. root — of a word
  9. band — a music group
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stock — shares
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. root — of a plant
  18. board — a committee
  19. root — the cause
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. band — a ring
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

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