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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. cap — a lid
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tube — the underground
  7. march — the month
  8. stock — shares
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. march — music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. tube — a container
  22. cap — of ice
  23. game — a match
  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