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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — to paddle
  4. roll — a list
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. squash — to crush
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stock — goods
  9. tube — the underground
  10. roll — a cake
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — a line
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mate — to breed
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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