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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. perch — the fish
  3. tube — the underground
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rock — music
  6. roll — a list
  7. rock — a stone
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stock — shares
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stock — goods
  14. rash — a series
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rash — hasty
  18. fine — all right
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tube — a container
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. roll — a cake

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