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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. land — ground
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. land — a country
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pop — to visit
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. pop — music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. land — to come down
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stock — goods
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pop — soda

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