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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stock — goods
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. current — happening now
  5. mate — a friend
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. current — of water
  14. perch — the fish
  15. mate — a partner
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stock — shares
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mate — to breed
  23. current — electric
  24. date — on the calendar

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