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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. capital — a city
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. track — to keep track
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stock — shares
  10. swing — in golf
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. capital — money
  13. charge — in control
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bear — the animal
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — music
  21. plane — a tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. capital — a big letter

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