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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pit — in a race
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. tube — a container
  8. club — for golf
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pit — a hole
  12. club — a group
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. board — to get on
  21. tube — the underground
  22. board — a committee
  23. stock — shares
  24. board — a flat piece

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