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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mate — a friend
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. stock — goods
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mate — a partner
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mate — to breed
  12. tube — a container
  13. stock — shares
  14. swing — in golf
  15. deal — to handle
  16. march — the month
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stock — a soup base

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