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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. tube — a container
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stock — shares
  5. content — the amount
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. track — a path
  8. content — happy
  9. mate — a partner
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mate — a friend
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. track — a song
  16. stock — goods
  17. rest — a break
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stand — to bear
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mate — to breed

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