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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · tube · bat · mine · object · cell · plane · cabinet

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mine — for digging
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. object — an aim
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. stock — shares
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stock — goods
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. cell — in biology

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