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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. land — ground
  3. tube — a container
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. land — to come down
  10. pass — a permit
  11. tube — the underground
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. board — to get on
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. land — a country
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. board — a committee
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pass — to succeed
  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