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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stock — shares
  5. file — a tool
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. scale — in music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bound — certain
  20. scale — size or range
  21. file — a document
  22. stock — goods
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tube — the underground

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