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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. bound — obliged
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bound — certain
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stock — goods
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. staff — a stick
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. staff — employees
  20. hand — help
  21. staff — employees
  22. bound — tied together
  23. hand — in cards
  24. pit — in a race

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