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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stock — shares
  4. suit — in cards
  5. object — to protest
  6. suit — clothes
  7. present — there
  8. cold — an illness
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. stock — goods
  15. field — farmland
  16. bulb — for light
  17. object — an aim
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cold — not warm
  21. tube — a container
  22. object — a thing
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. tube — the underground

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