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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stock — goods
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stock — shares
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. tube — a container

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