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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stock — goods
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stock — shares
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. can — a tin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. can — a tin
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. degree — an amount
  15. tube — a container
  16. fine — high quality
  17. scale — in music
  18. degree — from a university
  19. fine — all right
  20. degree — temperature
  21. club — a group
  22. mark — a trace
  23. club — for golf
  24. mark — a grade

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