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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. tube — a container
  7. fork — in a road
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — for catching
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. net — in sport
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tube — the underground
  20. band — a music group
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. net — after costs
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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