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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tube — a container
  3. stock — goods
  4. suit — to fit
  5. roll — a cake
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stock — shares
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bass — the fish
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tube — the underground
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bass — low music
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. roll — a list
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. suit — in cards

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