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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 120 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stock — shares
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cap — a lid
  5. suit — to fit
  6. swing — in golf
  7. tube — a container
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. suit — in cards
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. kick — in football
  14. last — final
  15. stock — goods
  16. net — for catching
  17. last — to go on
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. swing — music
  20. net — in sport
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. tube — the underground
  23. net — after costs
  24. last — finally

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