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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. club — a group
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. shower — to wash
  8. object — to protest
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. land — a country
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. object — a thing
  16. shower — rain
  17. club — for golf
  18. tube — a container
  19. object — an aim
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stock — goods
  22. club — for dancing
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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