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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. toast — bread
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — goods
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stock — shares
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. saw — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. saw — the tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. charge — in control
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. plane — a tool
  22. drill — the tool
  23. charge — electricity
  24. toast — the most admired

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