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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stock — shares
  5. prune — to trim
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. cap — of ice
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. content — happy
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. content — the amount
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pass — a permit
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. foot — a measure

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