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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. march — the month
  6. land — to come down
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. land — ground
  10. bat — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. stock — goods
  13. plane — a tool
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. scale — size or range
  16. land — a country
  17. scale — in music
  18. march — music
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stock — shares
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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