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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. current — happening now
  4. stock — shares
  5. tube — the underground
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bat — the animal
  9. current — of water
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tube — a container
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. current — electric
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bat — for baseball

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