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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stock — goods
  4. tube — a container
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mine — for digging
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. drill — the tool
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stock — shares
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. drill — army training
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. chip — in a computer

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