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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stock — shares
  4. mark — a trace
  5. chest — of your body
  6. staff — a stick
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. ground — the earth
  10. staff — employees
  11. spell — letters
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. staff — employees
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. spell — magic
  19. stock — goods
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitch — a sports field

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