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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. stock — goods
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stock — shares
  5. fork — in a road
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. scale — in music
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fine — all right
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. date — the fruit
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. club — a group

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