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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: sharp · pop · court · stock · plane · rash · saw · rest

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. rest — a break
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pop — soda
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rest — what's left
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stock — shares
  10. plane — a tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. court — of a king
  14. rash — hasty
  15. court — of law
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rest — what's left
  21. court — for sport
  22. stock — goods
  23. rash — a series
  24. pop — music

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