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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pitch — completely
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. can — to be able to
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stock — shares
  8. can — a tin
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. capital — money
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stock — goods
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. capital — a city
  23. deal — to handle
  24. can — a tin

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