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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mark — a trace
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stock — goods
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rush — hurry
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. spell — magic
  10. charge — a price
  11. dip — to sink
  12. tube — the underground
  13. spell — letters
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. charge — in control
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. spell — a short time

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