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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. capital — a city
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fall — the season
  10. club — for golf
  11. bound — certain
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. capital — money
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pass — a permit
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stock — shares
  23. sharp — clever
  24. plane — an aircraft

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