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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stock — shares
  3. court — of a king
  4. stock — goods
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. clip — a video
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. tube — the underground
  24. court — of law

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