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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bound — certain
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. charge — a price
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stock — shares
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. charge — in control
  17. bound — obliged
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. ground — a position
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. charge — electricity
  23. plane — a tool
  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