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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 124 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rock — music
  8. pop — music
  9. land — ground
  10. pop — to visit
  11. land — a country
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. land — to come down
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. band — a music group
  17. stock — shares
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pop — soda
  24. drill — army training

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