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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mug — a cup
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. stock — goods
  12. cold — an illness
  13. tube — a container
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cold — not warm
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — in music
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mug — a face
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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