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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: fall · plane · clip · present · stock · ground · chip · fork

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ground — crushed
  4. clip — for paper
  5. present — there
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ground — a position
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. present — the time now
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. present — a gift
  18. clip — a video
  19. stock — shares
  20. clip — to cut
  21. fall — the season
  22. chip — for betting
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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