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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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 — a soup base
  2. fall — to drop
  3. court — of a king
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stock — shares
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. court — for sport
  9. mark — a trace
  10. row — a line
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fall — the season
  14. row — to paddle
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. court — of law
  19. mark — a grade
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stock — goods
  23. fall — to drop
  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