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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cap — a lid
  5. scale — in music
  6. mate — a friend
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stock — goods
  11. ground — a position
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cap — of ice
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stock — shares
  24. mate — to breed

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