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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fork — in a road
  3. net — for catching
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. land — ground
  8. firm — a company
  9. rock — music
  10. stock — goods
  11. firm — decided
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stock — shares
  14. firm — steady
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. land — to come down
  17. net — in sport
  18. tube — a container
  19. rock — a stone
  20. tube — the underground
  21. land — a country
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. net — after costs
  24. tube — in a tire

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