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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 116 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
468
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: bass · land · spell · stock · press · plane · fork · chair

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stock — shares
  4. bass — the fish
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stock — goods
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. press — to push
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. spell — letters
  13. land — a country
  14. spell — magic
  15. fork — in a road
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bass — low music
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. land — to come down
  21. press — a publisher
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. land — ground
  24. chair — to sit on

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