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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mark — a trace
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. court — of law
  6. mark — a grade
  7. court — of a king
  8. net — after costs
  9. tube — a container
  10. charge — in control
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. saw — the tool
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. net — in sport
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. court — for sport
  24. net — for catching

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