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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. degree — from a university
  6. march — music
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stock — goods
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mug — a cup
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. march — the month
  19. stock — shares
  20. mug — a face
  21. charge — a price
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — in control
  24. degree — temperature

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