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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. net — for catching
  4. bat — the animal
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rock — music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. net — in sport
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stock — goods
  14. rock — a stone
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stock — shares
  19. net — after costs
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bat — for baseball

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