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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 120 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. spring — a coil
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. track — a song
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. spring — of water
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. tube — the underground
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stock — shares
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mine — for digging
  18. track — a path
  19. degree — an amount
  20. track — to keep track
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. tube — a container
  23. spring — the season
  24. fan — a supporter

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