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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. foot — a measure
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. face — to confront
  7. march — the month
  8. stock — shares
  9. fall — to drop
  10. face — to point toward
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stock — goods
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — electricity
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. club — for golf
  21. charge — a price
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fall — the season
  24. charge — in control

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