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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. tube — a container
  2. stock — shares
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. pop — music
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fall — the season
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pit — a hole
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stock — goods
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pop — soda
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pit — in a race
  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