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

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. firm — steady
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tube — the underground
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — a safe
  12. capital — a city
  13. fine — all right
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stock — goods
  16. fine — high quality
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. capital — money
  20. firm — a company
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stock — shares
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. firm — decided

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