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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 124 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fine — all right
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — a phone
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. object — a thing
  12. stock — shares
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. date — the fruit
  18. stock — goods
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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