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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. firm — steady
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. plane — a tool
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stock — shares
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. firm — a company
  24. stock — goods

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