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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fine — all right
  3. mark — a trace
  4. tear — from crying
  5. date — the fruit
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mark — a grade
  9. firm — decided
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. plane — a tool
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. squash — the sport
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stock — shares
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stock — goods
  24. squash — to crush

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