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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. tube — the underground
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stock — goods
  6. cap — of ice
  7. row — to paddle
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. craft — boats
  11. fall — to drop
  12. craft — a skill
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stock — shares
  18. cell — a phone
  19. row — a line
  20. cap — a hat
  21. perch — the fish
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cap — a lid

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