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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. firm — decided
  3. march — the month
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. file — a tool
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stock — goods
  16. root — of a word
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — a container
  20. stock — shares
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. tube — the underground
  24. file — a document

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