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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. scale — size or range
  2. pop — music
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pop — soda
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stock — goods
  7. scale — in music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. tube — a container
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pop — to visit
  15. stock — shares
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fan — a supporter
  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