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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stock — goods
  7. spring — the season
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bass — low music
  13. stock — shares
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ball — a dance
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. spring — of water

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