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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 116 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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. track — a path
  3. stock — shares
  4. tube — a container
  5. file — a document
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stock — goods
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. object — a thing
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. file — a tool

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