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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. file — a tool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. degree — temperature
  7. tube — the underground
  8. track — to keep track
  9. degree — from a university
  10. present — there
  11. file — a document
  12. present — a gift
  13. track — a path
  14. present — the time now
  15. stock — shares
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stock — goods
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. track — a song
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rush — hurry
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bear — the animal

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