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

Word bank: wake · pit · plane · stock · land · object · jam · fan

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. stock — goods
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. object — an aim
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. object — to protest
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. plane — a tool
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. land — to come down
  24. stock — shares

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