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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. stock — goods
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. present — a gift
  6. mug — a face
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. present — there
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. present — the time now
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pop — music
  18. stock — shares
  19. mine — for digging
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pass — a permit
  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