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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bank — for money
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pass — a permit
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cap — of ice
  9. can — a tin
  10. race — humankind
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stock — shares
  13. cap — a lid
  14. tube — a container
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. race — a contest
  18. stock — goods
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cap — a hat
  23. tube — the underground
  24. race — the arms race

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