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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. lean — thin
  4. tube — the underground
  5. club — for golf
  6. mug — a cup
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. tube — a container
  10. stock — shares
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lean — to bend
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. race — a contest
  19. club — a group
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. suit — clothes

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