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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · object · cap · content · hide · ground · row · tube

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ground — a position
  3. cap — a hat
  4. row — to paddle
  5. tube — the underground
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. content — the amount
  8. object — an aim
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stock — shares
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stock — goods
  14. cap — of ice
  15. row — a line
  16. object — to protest
  17. content — happy
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ground — the earth
  23. object — a thing
  24. hide — to keep secret

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