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

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. net — for catching
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rock — a stone
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. tube — the underground
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. firm — steady
  12. stock — shares
  13. firm — a company
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. firm — decided
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. tube — a container
  18. stock — goods

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