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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stock — shares
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. tube — a container
  7. net — after costs
  8. stock — goods
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. net — for catching
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — in sport
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. game — a match

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