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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 116 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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. squash — the sport
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mark — a grade
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — hurry
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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