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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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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: chair · pop · stock · date · nail · plane · perch · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stock — goods
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pop — soda
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. chair — a leader
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pop — music
  16. plane — a tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rash — a series
  23. stock — shares
  24. rash — hasty

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