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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stock — shares
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. squash — the sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pop — soda
  13. can — a tin
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pop — music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stock — goods

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