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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stock — goods
  3. swing — in golf
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spring — of water
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — a container
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. saw — the tool
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. spring — the season
  20. can — a tin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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