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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cap — a lid
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ground — a position
  10. bass — low music
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bass — the fish
  15. capital — a city
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. cap — a hat
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stock — shares
  20. tube — a container
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. capital — money
  24. tube — in a tire

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