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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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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: club · tube · hide · lean · mark · saw · bowl · stock

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lean — thin
  4. stock — goods
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tube — the underground
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. club — a group
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. saw — the tool
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. tube — a container
  20. stock — shares
  21. saw — the tool
  22. club — for golf
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mark — a grade

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