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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. land — ground
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. sharp — clever
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. season — of the year
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. land — to come down
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cap — of ice
  20. tube — the underground
  21. stock — shares
  22. season — in sport
  23. land — a country
  24. tube — a container

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