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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. can — a tin
  3. stock — shares
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. tube — a container
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pass — a permit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. can — a tin
  19. capital — a city
  20. lie — to recline
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stock — a soup base

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