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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. field — a subject
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. stock — shares
  16. tube — the underground
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. object — an aim
  20. tube — a container
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — goods
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stock — a soup base

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