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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: tube · rock · mate · stock · straw · ball · present · fine

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. present — a gift
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. ball — a dance
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ball — a great time
  9. present — there
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. fine — all right
  16. tube — a container
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stock — shares
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. present — the time now
  24. mate — a partner

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