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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. land — a country
  3. track — a song
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stock — goods
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. land — to come down
  8. track — to keep track
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. land — ground
  11. tube — a container
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — music
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pop — soda
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tube — the underground
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. track — a path

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