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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stock — goods
  6. tube — the underground
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. stock — shares
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cue — for pool
  23. tube — a container
  24. cap — of ice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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