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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · dip · last · tube · net · suit · squash · arm

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. net — for catching
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. last — to go on
  6. stock — goods
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. tube — the underground
  15. suit — in cards
  16. squash — to crush
  17. tube — a container
  18. suit — clothes
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. suit — to fit
  21. dip — to sink
  22. net — after costs
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. net — in sport

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