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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. spring — of water
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fine — high quality
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stock — goods
  9. fine — all right
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. firm — decided
  13. current — happening now
  14. tube — the underground
  15. firm — a company
  16. current — electric
  17. cap — a hat
  18. current — of water
  19. cap — of ice
  20. face — to point toward
  21. firm — steady
  22. face — to confront
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stock — shares

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