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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. tube — a container
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. scale — size or range
  10. board — a committee
  11. land — to come down
  12. stock — shares
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. scale — in music
  17. date — the fruit
  18. land — ground
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. land — a country
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tube — the underground
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fan — to cool the air

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