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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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468
Word bank
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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fine — high quality
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. degree — from a university
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. degree — temperature
  15. tube — a container
  16. fine — all right
  17. root — of a word
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stock — shares
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pass — a permit
  24. straw — a straw man

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