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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. tube — a container
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bat — the animal

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