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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. kid — to tease
  3. can — a tin
  4. stock — goods
  5. foot — a measure
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stock — shares
  15. plane — a tool
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tube — the underground
  20. can — a tin
  21. kid — child
  22. tube — a container
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bulb — for light

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