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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tube — a container
  3. march — the month
  4. stock — goods
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. drill — army training
  8. stock — shares
  9. bear — the animal
  10. suit — to fit
  11. drill — the tool
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rock — music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. suit — in cards
  18. march — the month
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rock — a stone
  22. march — music
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pound — for dogs

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