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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 · mug · rush · cap · bound · tube · file · mark

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mug — a face
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bound — certain
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stock — goods
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stock — shares
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mug — a cup
  19. file — a line of people
  20. tube — a container
  21. bound — tied together
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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